In a connected lighting system, for instance, the Philips Hue system, a plurality of lighting devices may be connected to a master network device, such as a bridge, via a wireless network. The lighting devices, which may typically include light emitting diodes (LEDs), can be controlled wirelessly via the master network device, for instance, with regards to their hue or their switch-on/switch-off time. To this end, a smartphone that can be connected to the master network device may execute an app in order to wirelessly control the lighting devices via the master network device.
In the connected lighting system, it can be foreseen that various kinds of devices, for instance, lighting devices, light switches, sensors, such as presence detectors, et cetera, from different manufacturers can be integrated into the connected lighting system. For instance, the Philips Hue system has been opened via the “Friends of Hue” program for extension by devices from third party manufacturers.
The paper “Getting Started with the AllJoyn™ Lighting Service Framework 14.06” by the Allseen Alliance (Sep. 30, 2014) describes the AllJoyn™ Lighting SDK, which provides a simple Lighting API to application developers to build AllJoyn™ applications to control the Lighting solution provided by the Lighting service framework. The Lighting service framework comprises two service components. A Lamp service that enables an embedded lighting device (such as a connected light bulb) to be controlled by the Controller service and a Controller service that enables AllJoyn™ applications (e.g., an application running on a smartphone) to control the Lamp service.
WO 2007/102097 A1 discloses a lighting system and a method of operating the lighting system. A plurality of lighting units each comprise a lighting element with a lighting control unit for controlling its light output and a communication unit for communicating over a communication medium, e.g. RE or power line communication. The units further have an optical receiver for receiving light from other lighting units. A controller unit is connected to the optical receiver, the communication unit and the lighting control unit. In order to allow easy, automated set-up, at least in a configuration phase, the lighting units send information by operating the lighting elements in a modulated manner and this information is received by a further lighting unit observing the generated light.